The Vice-Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 elections, Dr Datti Baba-Ahmed, has hinted at a possible presidential run on the platform of the party.

This follows the decision of his erstwhile principal, Mr Peter Obi, to defect from the LP to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Baba-Ahmed made it clear that he would remain in the LP and possibly contest the 2027 presidential election while addressing party faithful at a rally held at the LP National Headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday.

The former federal lawmaker said he bore no grudge against Mr Obi for leaving the Labour Party, a platform which, according to him, gave them both the opportunity to garner over 10 million votes, later reduced to six million.

Baba-Ahmed said: “I am my own boss. I contested for the presidency in 2019 before Peter Obi. I agreed to partner with Peter Obi in 2023 because I saw an opportunity to unite Nigerians, and I accepted it.

“I am a Nigerian and will make my decision known when the whistle is blown. Yes, I am a Nigerian, a Hausa man and a Muslim. Bola Tinubu is a human being, and there are human beings in the Labour Party. I have what it takes.”

Earlier, the Julius Abure-led leadership of the party expressed confidence that Mr Obi’s departure would not adversely affect the party’s fortunes in 2027.

Abure said that while the party could not discount Mr Obi’s contributions to its performance in 2023, it would be unfair to attribute the party’s successes to his influence alone.

“We had laundered the image of our party, with several people of influence coming to us to say they wanted to join; some actually joined,” Abure said.

“Only recently, the Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, told the world that he joined the party before Peter Obi did, and this is true.

“He also said he was not going to defect with Peter Obi. On the night Peter Obi defected, I received a telephone call from our vice-presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Dr Datti Baba-Ahmed.

“He said he was not leaving the party because it was the platform upon which he, along with the former candidate, received over 10 million votes from Nigerians, later reduced to six million votes. We all know what happened.

“In fact, he asked me to organise an event where members could come together. He first suggested that we meet at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel with a few senior members, and that he would foot the bill.

“But I suggested that we hold the event here at the party secretariat and invite our members, artisans and ordinary people who truly own the party, and he agreed. That is why we are having this gathering here today.

“The Labour Party is intact. We will not let Nigerians down. We will remain together and provide a genuine alternative for Nigerians.”

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